Four years on, Kamalbinayak-Nagarkot road construction still incomplete

Construction company has alreadyreceived three deadline extensions

KATHMANDU, June 4: Despite thegovernment’s commitment to build infrastructure for tourism, the Kamalvinayak-Nagarkot Road -- the main access road to Nagarkot, a popular hill station on theoutskirts of the Kathmandu Valley -- lies in a dilapidated state for the pastcouple of years.Officials of the government say that negligence by construction company hascaused delay to the road upgradation project.

Department of Roads (DoR) had awardedthe project to Shailung Construction in 2014. According to the contractdocument, the project was supposed to be completed by 2016. The 16-kilometerroad project faced several obstructions because of which it could not becompleted on time, Murari Gautam, the spokesperson for DoR, told Republica.“Although the project began in 2014, it faced obstructions due to 2015earthquakes, border blockade and lack of construction materials,” Gautam added.

The government has extended theproject’s construction deadline by three times so far. The latest deadlineexpires in July, 2018. However, the construction company is unlikely tocomplete its work by then.

“As the project is almost certain tomiss the extended deadline, we have fined it Rs 700,000. The penalty will bemore severe in the coming days,” Gautam added.

Meanwhile, the department has startedpreparation to extend the construction deadline yet again as the project isalmost certain to miss the July deadline. “We will extend the deadline one lasttime. If it did not complete the project by that time, we will terminate thecontract and blacklist the construction company,” Gautam told Republica.

According to government officials, thecompany did not expedite its work even after the situation normalized after theearthquakes of 2015 and border blockade. “The company was supposed to increasesresources and workforce after getting extension of construction deadline. Butit did not happen,” Gautam said, adding: “We were left with no option but topenalize them.”

Thought the construction company isgetting another deadline extension, Gautam said he cannot say when the projectwill complete.